EMAILS

Written communication types include: Email, Letters, Proposals, Memos, Faxes. (Page 2)
Emails are rapidly changing and have revolutionized business communication; usable for personal and professional contexts (friends, family, partners, colleagues). (Page 3)
A professional/formal email address can influence credibility and is often one of the first impressions you give to teachers, employers, and contacts. (Page 4)
Professional email address structures (avoid nicknames for professional use):
- First name last name (johnsmith@yourwebsite.Com)
- First name only (john@yourwebsite.Com)
- First initial last name (jsmith@yourwebsite.Com)
- First name last initial (johns@yourwebsite.Com)
- Examples: fairlady1989@yahoo.com or rocketman9786@gmail.com
- Rule of thumb: Leave nicknames for personal communication. (Page 5)

To: enter the exact email address of your recipient. (Page 6)
CC: carbon copy (visible to all recipients). (Page 6)
BCC: blind carbon copy (hidden from other recipients). BCC allows concealment of recipients from others. (Page 6)

Purpose: to catch the reader’s attention; be brief and specific; avoid UPPERCASE. (Page 7)
Examples:
- Application for the Post of Sales Associate
- Free workshop: Introduction to Salesforce
- Workshop Reminder: Effective Communication
- Requesting Project X Idea Submissions
- Re: Promotion Campaign (Page 7)

Fields: To, Cc, Bcc, Attach, Subject, Send/Discard; options may include encryption. (Page 8)
Practical reminder: always add a subject before sending. (Page 8, implied by interface guidance)

The greeting depends on the formality of the relationship:
- Dear Sir/Madam
- Dear Mr. Perera
- Dear Human Resource Manager
- To whom it may concern (Page 9)

If initiating communication, be clear early in the email. Use concise language and direct statements. (Page 10)
Example opening lines:
- I am writing in response to your article/ advertisement/letter …
- I am writing with regard to …
- I am writing to enquire about …
- I am writing to complain about …
- I am writing to request … (Page 10)

Keep the message short and to the point; remove unnecessary information; present the most relevant details first due to readers’ limited time. (Page 11)
Use short paragraphs (3–5 sentences). (Page 11)

Closing options: best regards, kind regards, sincerely, cheers. Include contact details and proofread for typos. (Page 14)

Sample 1: Invitation to a birthday party (personal email)
- To: xyz
- Cc/bcc: (none)
- Subject: invitation to a birthday party
- Body: Hi Sera! Hope this mail finds you in the best of your time. I am very happy to invite you to my birthday party on Nov 03 at ABC hotel from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The theme of the birthday party is ‘Pirate of the Caribbean’. It would be great if you come and join us at the party. We will have a great time and fun together. See you soon. Lynda
- (Page 16)
Sample 2: Informing classmates about intra-college quiz competition (informal to formal conversion optional)
- Subject: Intra-college quiz competition
- Content includes date/time, location, and invitation to participate; closing by Peter (Class representative). (Page 17)
Sample 3: Resignation email
- Subject: Resignation Letter
- Content: Notice of resignation with one-month notice, appreciation for opportunities, request for final schedule and benefits, closing. (Page 18)

Do have a clear subject line; Do use a professional salutation (Dear, Hello); Do not use casual greetings like hey, yo, or hi. (Page 20)
Do not use humour in formal communications. Do proofread. Do not assume the recipient already knows what you are talking about. Do reply to all emails when appropriate. Do not overuse exclamation points. (Page 20)
Use active links and the power of the internet; Use correct attachments; Proofread. (Page 21)

A formal inquiry email example:
- Dear Sir/Madam,
- I am writing to enquire about the time for the conference center in Colombo. Our company is hosting a delegation from Japan and is interested in booking the center for an important corporate event on $24^{ ext{th}} ext{ December }, 2024$ . I checked your website but could not find the information I require. If you could kindly send the timings when the conference center is available, we can design a schedule at the earliest and share the schedule with you to initiate the booking procedure. Looking forward to an early response. Thank you.
- A.D. Jayathilake
- Human Resource Manager, ABS Company (pvt) Ltd. (Page 22)

Identify common mistakes in informal emails:
- Overly casual tone, excessive punctuation and slang (e.g., ALL CAPS, emoticons, abbreviations like B4, xtra, coz, BTW, u).
- Sharing personal trauma or sensitive information that’s not appropriate for a professional email.
- Inconsistent capitalization, informal sign-offs, and lack of structure.
- Informal greetings and closing lines that do not suit a professional context. (Page 23)
Formal revision: Convert the informal email into a professional one. Suggested approach:
- Subject: Inquiry about courses for university students
- Dear Jack,
- My name is Jaana [Last Name], from Finland. I would like to inquire about courses for university students offered by your program. Could you please provide information on class schedules (number of lessons per week), available extracurricular activities or trips, and any other relevant details?
- I look forward to your reply.